Buttle Lake adopted 4 March 1947 on 92 F/12 as labelled on BC Lands' maps 1AE, 1915, and 2C, 1919; not "Buttles Lake" as had been labelled on Map # 18. Coordinates adjusted 7 May 1959 on 92 F/13.

Source: BC place name cards, or correspondence to/from BC's Chief Geographer or BC Geographical Names Office

After John James Taylor Buttle ( -1908), geologist and botanist from Kew Gardens, London, who served as a naturalist on Dr. Robert Brown's Vancouver Island Exploration Expedition of 1864. Also in 1864, Buttle accompanied Lieutenant Leech on the Sarita River Expedition. He discovered and mapped "Buttle's Lake" the following year while conducting his own exploration party into central Vancouver Island. Buttle Lake is so-labelled (with indefinite shoreline) on "Map of Vancouver Island and part of British Columbia" to accompany the paper by R. Brown, Esq., published for the Journal of the Royal Geographical Society. Buttle's son died in California in the 1930's; his daughter, Mrs. W.S. Macdonald was living in Vancouver (age 80+) in 1952.

Source: BC place name cards, or correspondence to/from BC's Chief Geographer or BC Geographical Names Office

After John Buttle, Fraser River gold rush pioneer, who was the first white man to explore this area, 1864.

Source: Provincial Archives of BC "Place Names File" compiled 1945-1950 by A.G. Harvey from various sources, with subsequent additions

Elevation is 725' asl and the combined area of Buttle & Upper Campbell Lakes is 25.78 sq.miles. The former stretch of Campbell River connecting the 2 lakes has been eliminated; the narrows just south of Upper Campbell Lake is actually the north end of Buttle Lake, based on hydrological evidence, including velocity (January 1971 advice from D. Tanner, Water Rights Branch).

Source: BC place name cards, or correspondence to/from BC's Chief Geographer or BC Geographical Names Office